Still early, but all the pieces seem to be falling in place for Twins

The Twins returned home from a long road trip holding first place in the American League Central yet feeling as if they had left more on the table than a lousy pool player or a good tipper.

Despite their unaccustomed early-season success, the Twins had snoozed through too many day games, had flailed and failed with the bases loaded, had confronted injuries worrisome (anything ailing the franchise catcher's foot is, at the least, worrisome) and confounding (Pat Neshek seems to be following Glen Perkins' career path even after seeing where that path leads).

"It's a fun team, but it does feel like we're not clicking on all cylinders the way we could be," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said before Monday's game. "And, you know, we're still rolling along OK."

What we tend to forget during a season of high expectations is that a baseball team features more moving parts than a tilt-a-whirl. Even good teams, like vintage roadsters, are in constant need of repair, but you've still got to enjoy owning a vintage roadster.

In the wake of the Twins' thumping of Detroit on Monday night at Target Field, let's take a moment to recognize all that has gone right in the first 26 games of the season:

• Francisco Liriano has pitched like an ace. He has often looked dominant. Just as important, when he wasn't dominant in the early innings against Cleveland on Sunday, he fought through jams, threw 123 pitches and lasted seven innings on a day when the bullpen desperately needed rest.

Being an ace isn't just about having dominant stuff. It's also about giving your team whatever it needs on any particular day. Liriano did that Sunday, displaying a mental toughness not in evidence last season.

• O-Dog has replaced O-Cab. (Translation: Orlando Hudson has assuaged the manager's fears that the loss of Orlando Cabrera would leave a gap in the batting order.)

Hudson has hit in 10 consecutive games, and he handles the bat well from both sides of the plate.

• Jon Rauch has done the job at closer, saving the Twins from having to make a panic move such as trading a top prospect for a replacement. If Rauch excels all year, he will prove to be one of the best midseason acquisitions in recent franchise history. If he merely holds down the job until the Twins have other options, he will have served this team well.

• The Twins' organizational depth has displayed itself, with Jeff Manship, Alex Burnett and Ron Mahay pitching well, and Wilson Ramos channeling Kirby Puckett.

Ramos, summoned to catch while Joe Mauer's heel is hurting, got hits in seven of his first nine big-league at-bats. He's one of the best prospects in baseball, and he is hardly awed by his surroundings.

• J.J. Hardy is a better fielder than anyone in Minnesota expected him to be.

• Justin Morneau returned from the back injury that sidelined him last week by swinging the bat even better than he had previously; he's hitting .356 with a .482 on-base percentage.

• Michael Cuddyer no longer looks like a guess hitter. Following his stunning performance down the stretch last season, Cuddyer looks more composed and comfortable in the batter's box than ever. In the first inning on Monday, he launched a hanging breaking pitch from Max Scherzer into the second deck in left field for a three-run homer.

Despite nagging problems like injuries and slumps -- problems that plague all baseball teams -- the Twins are 17-9, they've found an ace, they've soothed the loss of their All-Star closer, and their lineup looks deep even without Mauer.

It's a long season. For this team, that might be a good thing.